European low-cost sector soars again with 2 million new seats, OAG reveals
29 January 2007
- Flights to and from Europe up 8%, low cost up 57%
- Middle East, Africa set the air transport pace
- UK domestic market matches global growth rate
- Aviation’s recovery enters its fifth year
January 2007: Travel choices within Europe soared in January with 2 million more low-cost seats on sale than this time last year, a growth of 15 per cent. The number of low-cost flights scheduled within the region rose by more than 10,000 for the month resulting in Europe now accounting for a quarter of all low cost flights worldwide.
The world’s airlines scheduled 83,600 flights to and from Europe, 6,000 more than in January last year and more than 25,000 more than in January 2002 when the global aviation industry was still reeling from the aftershocks of 9/11.
This eight per cent increase in air services to and from Europe compares with worldwide January-to-January growth of just four per cent. The low-cost sector saw a sharp 57 per cent rise in the number of flights to and from the region, largely attributed to new services between Europe and North Africa.
Airlines have laid on an extra million-plus seats to and from Europe in January (up seven per cent to more than 19 million). The total number of seats on sale within the region for January was more than 60 million (up six per cent) compared with 45 million five years ago.
The figures are revealed in the latest OAG Quarterly Airline Traffic Statistics, a regular snapshot of airline activity around the world. Travel and transport company OAG collates data from more than 1,000 scheduled airlines, on a daily basis, to give an overview of anticipated travel demand.
“Currently there seems no ceiling to the expansion of the low cost sector,” says OAG’s managing director Duncan Alexander.
“Each year you think it is going to slow down yet existing players expand and although some leave the stage there are plenty of new arrivals.”
In relative terms, the best New Year figures have been returned by the Middle East and Africa. January’s total of 33,000 flights to and from the Middle East is 12 per cent up on last year, while the number of flights to and from Africa has risen ten per cent to nearly 27,000.
Flights to and from the US, the world’s most mature aviation market, are five per cent higher at 114,700, while January’s 818,000 US domestic flights constitute a two per cent increase on January 2006.
Conversely, the UK market saw a greater year-on-year increase domestically than in its international services, with the number of flights rising four and one per cent respectively.
International routes showing the greatest increase were between Western Europe and the Middle East with an 11 per cent increase in flights and 15 per cent in seat numbers, and between Western Europe and Africa, which saw a rise of 10 per cent in the number of flights and 8 per cent in capacity.
Statistical Tables are available here.
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For further information about OAG (www.oag.com) please contact:
Christopher Pickard at DBA
Tel +44 (0)20 7930 8033 Email: chris@dbapr.co.uk
Notes to Editors:
• Analysis on specific countries and key routes and hubs worldwide is available from OAG on request.